Out of Darkness: We are Family
by NerdyChicksHaveMoreFun
Summary: As far as anyone knows, Karai is just the Chief Field Officer and one of Kirk's unofficial advisers. No one, not even her boyfriend, David, knows the details of the past she's been protecting them from. But then an old friend-Khan-arrives on board, and with Marcus not far behind, Karai must choose between a past she's tried to forget and the people she's grown to love.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my very first fanfic, so feedback is welcome and any pointers would be appreciated! **

***In regards of the story, it takes place during the events of _Into_ _Darkness_, and later chapters will portray what I think happens afterwards.**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own _Star_ _Trek_ or _Into_ _Darkness_. I only own my characters and ideas.**

**P.S: I am also looking for a beta reader, so anyone interested can message me!**

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**Prologue**

_As I do every night, when I drifted into the vast abyss of sleep, I dream._

_Blue. Not the blue of water, not the blue of the sky or of a baby's eyes, but a deep, vibrant blue that was somehow different and distinct in my mind from all other shades of the color._

_Blue is the sole color appearing in a sea of blurry black and white shapes. For a moment I'm disoriented, unnerved even. Then my vision shifts, and I yelp as a man appears beside me. He laughs, a deep, rich sound that instantly calms my nerves; I would know that voice anywhere. I turn to face him, returning the smile I know I'll find._

_Ah, there's that shade of blue, thats gentleness and familiarity in itself can ease the sharp pain in my heart._

_"You've got company." my old friend says with a smile, nodding to a spot over my shoulder. I turn to find three familiar faces strolling leisurely towards us. One is a light-haired_ _young man, eyes similar to my old friend's. He is flanked by a dark-haired man with angular features and an older man with brown, smiling eyes. My smile widens at the sight of my crew mates, my friends._

_I turn to my old friend, grabbing his hand and tugging him forward, wanting to introduce him the people who have become my family. But he pulls away, and when I look back a stab of pain goes through my heart; his eyes, which held such warmth and affection a minute ago, hold icey rage, and that he could ever look at me-or anyone from our family-with such contempt comes almost as a physical blow._

_"They're Starfleet." he growls, spitting the out the word as though its poisonous._

_"So?" I ask, confused. As far as I know, Starfleet has committed no sin other than being led largely in part by some highly incompetent humans (who are almost all males, I might add)._

_"So? SO?!" my friend says, anger raising his voice. "Need I remind you who killed everyone you cared about? Who ripped the only family you ever had away from you?!". He shouts, and as I see the pain flash in his eyes, perfectly matching mine. When he speaks again, his voice is quieter, barely above a whisper, but it conveys more emotion than any of his shouting ever could._

_"Need I remind you who killed me?"_

_No. I need no reminder. The name rolls of my tongue with such hate that I almost-almost-surprise myself._

_"Marcus." I growl. HE killed the man who stands before, a man who was my friend, my brother. All to prove what would happen to the rest of them if I continued to try to free them. HE demolished the hanger, with all seventy-two members of our crew inside, when his 'point' only proved a motivation for me._

_I know that look in my friend's eyes; in his eyes, Starfleet is the enemy, a threat. And few people my friend has perceived as such live very long. Anyone unlucky enough to cross his path will die; especially now, when he needs to take out his anger over the death of our crew-and maybe even his own death, as I'm unsure about how he feels on being dead-on the closest faction he can find._

_"No, Khan." I say, in a vain attempt to quell his anger. "Marcus acted on his own. It wasn't their fault. They don't even know about it."_

_"No, they don't." a voice says, and my blood runs cold. Like Khan's, I would know that voice anywhere. But for an entirely different reason. I whirl around._

_Marcus._

_"And it WILL stay that way." He adds._

_He moves quick for a man of his age. Though he appears a good distance behind my Starfleet friends, long strides means he gains on them quickly. Terror grips me; In that moment, all I can think about is the memory of Khan's blue eyes, devoid of life, staring back at me without really seeing, and about watching the hangar explode in a ball of fire, knowing everyone I ever cared about is inside and that I can do nothing to stop it. All I can think about is knowing that I failed to save Khan, and disgraced his memory by not saving the crew._

_All this-the pain, the helplessness, the self-loathing-flashed through my head in a second. I scream as loud as I can, telling them to run, to get away, trying, without success, to warn them of what I know Marcus will do to them if he reaches them. They don't hear me, continuing to obliviously stroll towards us, smiling, as though sharing some inside joke._

_Marcus is in feet of them within minutes. As my desperation rises, I try to run forward, knowing that if I reach them I can protect them, thinking that at least buy them some time to get away, only to find that I can't move. I'm glued in place, unable to move, knowing I can do nothing. Knowing I'm as helpless as when I watched as the hangar exploded. Then Marcus reaches them._

_I see my light-haired friend turn in greeting._

_"Hello, Admiral Marcus. Can I help you with anything?" I hear him say. And suddenly I'm right there, less than a foot away from Marcus and the trio, Khan a couple feet away. I see the the warm smile on my friends face as he greets who he thinks is just a fellow Starfleet officer._

_"RUN, you idiots, RUN! Get out of here!" I shout, hysteria raising my voice. The light-haired man turns towards me , that pleasant smile still stupidly plastered to his face. _

_"Why?" he asks innocently. "He's never done anything to harm us. Why would he? He has no reason."_

_He's right. He didn't have any reason to harm them. _

_Until I came along._

_Before I created my alias and joined Starfleet, Marcus would have barely noticed their existence. But now, he can't take any chances; my testimony would ruin his career (not to mention his little "project"), and I and anyone I've become close to are liabilities, to be eliminated. _

_So no, Marcus _shouldn't _have a reason to hurt them. But because of me, now he does._

_"Well?" my friend persists. "What reason does he have?" _

_"No hard feelings, friends." Marcus interjects. I'd almost forgotten he was here. Almost. "Just tying up loose ends. You understand."_

_Realization dawns on my friends as the finally realize why Marcus is here, and I see the fear in their eyes. They simultaneously turn to me-why do they always think I have all the answers, that I can somehow save them?- but I'm powerless to do anything but watch. _

_I watch as bullets rip through my older friend, and he collapses to the ground as the life drains from him. The other two watch, stunned, and in that moment Marcus reaches out and violently jerks my light-haired friend's to the side, and he drops, neck broken, instantly dead. My dark-haired friend is the only one to grasp the situation enough that he turns and runs, but even he only goes two steps before Marcus uses his full weight into a body slam that sends my friend sprawling onto the ground._

_In an instant, Marcus has a phaser out and aimed at his head, finger at the trigger._

_"No!". The sound is out of my mouth before I can even realize. Marcus pauses, turning his head. The smile on his face makes my stomach lurch; theres a evil look to it, a look of twisted pleasure at my pain._

_"How touching." he says, looking from me to my friend and back. "Not at all surprising, though. You half-breeds have to stick together.". He gives my friend a sharp kick. "After all, nobody else care about what happens to you."_

_"That's not true." Khan says. Coming to my defense even when I don't need him to. As always._

_Marcus looks at him with surprise._

_"I almost forgot about you." he says. He looks at us closely, with great interest, as though hoping to uncover some hidden secret just from the way we stand. Then he looks from Khan to my friend, his gaze settling on me. The look in his eyes sends a chill down my spine. He lowers the gun slightly. "Tell you what. I'll make you a deal." he says, looking at me. "I'll only kill one of them."_

_I anticipate his next words, and dread them. When they come, my heart nearly breaks._

_"But_ you _will decide which one."_

_"No." I breath. It comes out barely above a whisper. _

_"Oh, yes." he growls, barely managing to keep the twisted amusement out of his voice. "Choose."_

_"No."_

_"CHOOSE!"_

_"I CAN'T!"_

_That quiets him. Then he smiles one of his twisted smiles._

_"Then I kill them both."_

_"No!"_

_"Then choose." he says softly. I step back, horrified, the fact that I can once again move freely barely registering. I can't choose. Condemn a friend to death? I wouldn't, couldn't betray either of them. If I did, it would almost definitely destroy my already-precarious handle on sanity. _

_It would destroy_ me.

_"Come on. It can't be that hard. You must like one of them at least a little bit more than the other. Just_ choose."_ he says in a deceptively gentle, soothing voice. "Don't think of it as killing one of your friend. Think of it of saving the other."_

_I remain silent, staring at my friends pleading eyes._

_"Fine." he says with a sigh. His arm snaps up, the phaser aimed at Khan and a finger on the trigger._

_"No!" _

_"So your answer is that one?" he says, nodding at my last remaining Starfleet friend. I turn my back, not being able to bear the look of betrayal I know I'll find in his eyes. Khan wraps his arms around me, as though trying to shield me from the wave of pain that accompanies my answer._

_"Yes." _

_"In that case..." Marcus says, and I hear the smile in his voice._

_"I'm sorry, Spock." I whisper. It's the hardest decision I've ever had to make, and I know it will break my heart beyond repair. But I was powerless to protect Khan once, and I refuse to let him die again. What happens me is irrelevant._

_The sound of the shot cracks through the air as my eyes fill with tears. I burry my head in Khan's shoulder as waves of pain roll over me, and he nuzzles his head into my hair._

_"It's okay." he whispers into my ear. "I'm right here, I promise I won't leave." _

_Then a second shot goes off. _

_I stare in horror as Khan slumps limply in my arms, blood seeping from the round hole between his eyes._

_"Don't make promises you can't keep, Khan." Marcus growls with a wicked grin._

_And as my heart shatters, his maniacal laughter chases me back to reality._


	2. Chapter 1: Who He Was To Me

**A/N: This chapter was originally longer and had alot more interesting stuff towards the end. But it was getting pretty long (longer than I think a single chapter should be) so I cut it short. Next chapter will be up soon though, as in one or two days (promise). **

**Also, please review any tips you have or comments. Also, if you review what you think should happen after the events of _Into_ _Darkness_, it will be taken into consideration, and might be put in a later chapter.**

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**Chapter 1: Who He Was to Me**

"Khan!"I scream as I wake, the utter blackness of the room making me fear for a moment that I'm still trapped in one of my nightmares. David's arms instantly encircle me, and I roll over and bury my head in his shoulder.

"What was it this time?" he asks gently, knowing that I've had one of my many nightmares. I struggle-with only minor success-to compose my emotions.

"They died." Is all I manage to gasp out between sobs.

"That happens in all of them. Be more specific." he says, voice slightly amused but not mocking, never mocking. I don't answer him, fighting to keep my emotions under control. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it." He adds quietly, mistaking my silence for offense.

"No, its okay, I want to tell you." I say hurriedly. I love David, and because of that I'm trying to learn not to push him away.

Even with how little I let others know of my past, everyone seems to know I've suffered some horrible trauma, so no one blames me when I hold people at arm's length, in an attempt to keep them safe from my past and to keep me safe from their all-to-possible deaths.

But since I've let myself fall in love in, it can't do too much more damage to open up to him.

"It was the one where they all died, and I couldn't protect them." I say, proud when my voice starts out strong but hating the quiver that creeps in by the end. David's arms tighten around me comfortingly. He has no idea how much that makes me love him; how nice it is to have someone who actually cares about you and tries to protect you, after three years of having no one.

I honestly don't know what I ever did to deserve David; maybe the universe just felt like it owed me after all the crap that's happened to me. Maybe I just lucked out. Either way, I know I'm never letting him go; I've finally found a shred of happiness with him-even with all the drama going on right now, even though Pike, my close friend, just died and we're on the hunt for his killer, even though I haven't had a good nights sleep in almost five years, even though Scotty's resigned (I have a betting pool going on how long that will last before Kirk begs him to come back), even with all that going on, I've still managed to find something in life worth living for, and I will protect at all costs. Even if it means giving my life.

After all, what's the point in being alive if you have nothing to live for?

"Thanks, David." I whisper. "You can always make me feel better."

I feel him smile into my hair.

"You'd do the same for me." he says, his voice a gentle rumble. So true. "So who was in it this time?"

_Not you, thank God, _I think_._ Instead I say,"Well, there was Pike, but that's not surprising."

Even though I can't see him, I know he nods. He can tell how much Pike's death affected me; hell, if I didn't need 'closure' (over the years, it's become my code word for 'revenge'), I would've taken a couple of my leave days and stayed in San Francisco. Like I told Pike, if I wanted to be a warrior again, I would've joined an army instead of Starfleet.

This time, though, I needed to see this through, both for my own sake, and to make sure Kirk and Spock come back alive; this bastard we're hunting has proven to be dangerous, and likewise Kirk has proven to be a magnet for trouble.

"Yeah, I kinda guessed that much." he says, trying to hide how tired he is even though I can here him suppress a yawn. I'm about to say that, if he's really that interesting in what my nightmares are about, then we'll talk about it in the morning, but then he adds "Who else?" and I know from that tone that he's not going to go back to sleep until he feels that we've talked through it.

I sigh, fighting down a smile, not knowing whether to be touched by the sentiment or annoyed by his stubbornness.

"Kirk and Spock." I say, and I hear him instantly snort.

"I don't know why you seem to think you have to protect them. What have they ever done for you?". He sounds annoyed, angry even.

"They're like family to me, David." I say with a tired smile, forgetting that he can't see me.

"Why can't you have any female 'family'?" he grumbles, though I sense that any anger has drained from him.

"Jealous much?" I tease. He smiles into my hair and yawns, no longer even trying to hide how tired he is.

"Anyone else?" he asks sleepily.

"Khan." I add, with a yawn of my own. Without raw emotions to distract me, exhaustion has started to creep into my limbs, and though I fear what my dreams will bring, I find myself drifting to sleep.

"Oh, yeah. You've mentioned him before." David says, and I can tell he's fighting to stay awake. "One of these days you're going to tell me just who he was to you."

Who was Khan to me? He was my brother when I didn't have any family, my friend when I felt like I was alone, the person who could always find an answer even when I thought there was no solution. For a short while we were even more than just friends. And now he's dead, along with all the other people I used to call family.

But I have family here now too, and there's no use in dwelling in the past.

"Maybe." is all I say as we drift off to sleep in each others arms.

This time, sleep is peacefully dreamless and restful.

The next morning, we are rudely awoken by frantic pounding on our door.

* * *

"Dammit Karai, open up!" a familiar voice's shot accompanies the next volley of pounding. Bones.

This had better be good. I think irritably, not happy at being woken. Beside me, David moans and shoves his head under his pillow, trying to block out the sound.

I sit up reluctantly and glance at the alarm clock on the table next to the bed. I curse when I see the time. David's shift started a half hour ago, and I was probably expected on the bridge an hour before that.

"David, get up, we overslept." I say, pulling my uniform on haphazardly in the dark.

"David's not here. Leave a message after the beep." David groans, voice muffled under the pillow.

I glance at the door and give David a kiss on the forehead.

"I'd better go before he pops a vein." I say, wishing I didn't have to. "You need to get up too. You're already late."

"Oh, alright." he moans, rolling to the edge of the bed.

"Karai!" Bones shouts again.

"Give me a few minutes!" I shout back.

For a second all goes quiet. Then he replies "You've got five."

Those five minutes are a blur of movement. I brush my teeth, wrestle my hair into a sloppy ponytail, and have my uniform on and in order with the first three minutes. I spend a whole other minute packing my concealed weapons: a small phaser strapped to my leg, a six-inch switchblade down my boot, etc. David watches me for a moment, shaking his head.

"You really think you're gonna need all that just to sit on the bridge and nag Kirk?" David asks with another shake of the head, pulling a red shirt with a gold bar on the shoulder over a muscled chest. I can't help but stare, transfixed.

He notices and smiles mischievously. "Enjoying the view?" he asks, sauntering over and leaning in until our faces are inches away from each other.

"Maybe." I say, giving him a playfully devilish smile of my own and leaning closer.

"Hurry up!" Bones shouts, and David laughs as I shoot the door a dirty look.

"You'd better go." David says, pulling a dark leather jacket on over his Starfleet shirt. I purse my lips.

"Yah know, Spock's not gonna like that jacket. Its probably against dress protocol."

"Do you like it?" he asks.

"Yah. It looks good." I say.

"Then don't worry about what Spock thinks." he says lightly. "Besides, I'm head of security. What's he gonna do, through me in the brig?"

_He just_ _might_, I think, smiling.

We both grab apples from the kitchen and head for the door. It slides open to reveal an annoyed Bones (is there ever a time when he's _not_ annoyed?), hand raised to continue attacking our door.

"Its about time!" he snaps. "C'mon, we got a situation."

"See yah later." David says, pecking me on the cheek. I smile, watching him turn and stroll down the hall.

Bones rolls his eyes, grabs my arm and starts tugging me in the opposite direction.

"C'mon, we don't have time for you to make goo-goo eyes at your boytoy." he growls.

"You don't complain when Kirk does it." I shoot back. He gives me a dirty look as we set off in the direction of the bridge..

"Kirk's the Captain. I don't have any control over him."

"Really? 'Cause you and Spock sure act like ya do." I grumble. "Sometimes I think I'm the only one who supports him." Bones snorts in annoyance, whether from my comment on support or from comparing him to my fellow half-breed, who, even I have to admit, gets annoying sometimes.

"You don't _support_ him, Karai. You encourage his hair-brained schemes that get him into half the trouble he finds."

"I _encourage_ those 'schemes' only when it's to save lives." I growl defensively. "Besides, I get him out of way more trouble than I get him in to."

Bones smiles grimly. "Hold on to that thought."

* * *

"He did _what_?" I exclaim, on the verge of shouting.

"Spock talked him in to it. And you know how that goes; once those two get an idea in their heads, they see it through." Bones says, a hint of anger in his voice.

"And none of you thought to _wake_ _me_?" I shout, glaring around the room. "Oh, this is a bad idea, a bad, bad idea." I mumble to myself, pacing behind the Captain's chair where Sulu sits, watching me silently.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Karai." Sulu finally says, trying in vain to calm me. All it does is peak my anger.

"Oh, sure." I growl sarcastically, continuing to pace. "They're on the Klingon motherland with the psychopath who single-handedly killed more than half of the Fleet's top officers. I'm sure they'll be just _fine._"

"Karai..." David begins, but I hold up a hand to quiet him. I'm not finished, and my eyes never leave Sulu's.

"_And_ you didn't even bother to _wake_ _me_ so they would at least have _someone_ who knows what the _hell_ they're _doing_-"

"And why do you think that _you_ would make any difference?!" Bones shouts. I freeze, then turn and look him right in the eye. I feel a muscle work in my jaw, and it's at this point that I forget about any logic I've ever possessed.

I turn on my heels and march to the wall. I stare at it for a minute, trying to push down the storm of emotions-the blind rage, the terror at what might happen to them- that is rising inside me.

It doesn't work.

So I do one of the stupidest things I've ever done.

My hands roll themselves into fists, and in that moment I'm all to aware of the Augment blood flowing in my veins. Then I pull my arm back and drive it into the wall as hard as I can. The 'thud' vibrates through the room, and all eyes watch in shocked silence as the metal crumbles into a half-foot deep dent.

_Idiot_, I immediately inwardly shout at myself. _Idiot_, _moron_, _imbecile_. But I no longer care, and I finish what I started, whirling back and staring right into Bone's stunned eyes.

"You wanted to know why I'd make a difference?" I growl icily. "There's your answer."

Then I storm out, leaving a room of fearful, stunned bridge officers and a heavily dented wall in my wake.

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**A/N: Hope it wasn't to boring. Like I said, the next one will be up in acouple days, and I guarantee some action. Comment on what you think should happen later. **

**reviews=love**


	3. Chapter 2: Ghosts

**Sorry this chapter took so long. Life and other stories got in the way and I wasn't able to get around to it. Also, when I first wrote this chapter it was all over the place, and so I took some time and re-wrote most of it. (I might write faster if I get some reviews. HINT HINT!)**

**Khan will be making his first appearance in this chapter. However, I do apologize that you won't see a lot of him until the next one. **

**Next chapter will begin with starting to finish up Into Darkness, so action and fighting is guaranteed. It might be a little bit before I can post the next one, but I will _try_ and stay true to my chapter-a-week motto. No promises, though.**

**Also, a special thanks to my beta, Kaebird13, for helping me be independent, and to Katerinaki, for being the first to review on the story. **

**Review=love**

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**Chapter 2: Seventy-Two**

_Idiot! Moron! Imbecile! You've done it now. Good luck explaining this to everyone. If they weren't curious about you before, you've definitely sparked an interest. Some of them will start digging; you kow them well enough to know that they will. How far will they get? How far can they get? And if they dig far enough, will Marcus find out? Will he come?_

_If he comes, you've failed. If he finds out that your here, they're all dead. He'll destroy them all without a second thought. And you will have failed to protect your family._

_Again_.

This is what goes through my head as I stalk down the halls, not paying attention to where I'm going. After a few minutes I realize that my feet have carried me to the gym doors; not surprising, because the gym is one of the few rooms on this ship I feel at home. Because it reminds me training with the Augments, I suspect.

You want them not to find anything? I ask myself. Then make sure there's nothing to find.

I ponder working or my stress in the boxing ring, but decide against it. If I'm going to protect my family, I need all the time I can get.

I head back to the apartment I share with David and get to work on o computer, fortifying my fake identity and making sure anyone who looks in to Karai Noonieh-my alias-finds nothing to lead them back to Kaerian Black. As a precaution, I also hack into the Starfleet database and erase any records that connect me to the Enterprise, replacing it instead with documents that verify that Lieutenant Noonieh has only ever served on the U.S.S Spector. I also change my service profile to say that I'm on leave in Alaska. that way, if someone from the crew sees it, they'll assume it's a typo; if Marcus sees it, he'll be looking for me in Alaska.

Of the situation that sparked any of this, I

hack into the Enterprise's security system (I need to remind David to get that updated, it's far too easy to get into) and delete and bury the security camera footage from this morning.

Though I do a thorough job in my work, I also do it quickly, and as a result I'm done within a half-hour.

_'Now see, aren't you glad you had Edric teach you to hack back in the Eugenic Wars?' _some part of me asks_. '__No, I'm glad that I installed those programs to do it for me', _another part answers_._

Not having had a shower that morning thanks to Bones, I hop in now. I come out to see David standing in the bedroom.

"Get dressed. We have a situation." he says.

* * *

"Are they okay?" is the first thing out of my mouth when I reach David, my uniform thrown on sloppily and my hair still wet. He doesn't ask who 'they' are; I'm sure my little outburst made that painstakingly.

"They're fine." he says. "Com'on, I'll explain as we walk."

"So whats going on?" I ask as we exit our apartment and trot down the hallways.

"Here's the short version." David says. "They got caught by the Klingons, and that Harrison guy took out the whole squadron by himself. Then he surrendered to Kirk." My head snaps up at this.

"That's not a good sign." I mumble, thinking aloud. A whole squadron? And Klingons to boot? That takes skill. If I didn't know better, I would say this Harrison is an Augment. Then again, maybe I'm being to hasty in my evaluation; all the Augments are dead, and besides, I could probably take out a squadron myself. It might not be totally impossible for a human to do.

Just very, very difficult. Which makes this human is very, very dangerous.

"Tell me about it." David agrees, snapping me out of my thoughts. "This guys smart, and he's obviously got skills. For him to surrender... something's definitely going on."

_My thoughts exactly, _I think, a feeling of dread growing in me.

"So what do the boys need me for?" I venture.

"We're meeting them on the way to interrogation now. They thought you would be useful." he says. "Yah know, since you can dent walls and stuff now." he adds nonchalantly. I look up sharply but don't reply.

"If you don't want to tell me about it, thats fine." he says after a moment, though his tone suggests otherwise.

"We'll talk about it later, I promise." i say. Seeing the look on his face, I add "It's kind of a long story."

How am I going to explain this one? How am I going to work this in to the just-your-average-girl persona? It'll be a mirical if I manage that.

Of course, I could always tell him the truth. Come clean and tell him everything. I quickly push the thought away. It's to dangerous, to risky.

All of this I know without a shred of doubt, so why does the thought send joy shooting through me?

* * *

It takes only a few moments for us to reach the brig, where this Harrison is being held. On cue, Spock and Kirk come around the corner from the opposite direction and stop across the door frame from us.

"Thanks for getting here so fast." Kirk says pleasantly.

I am in no mood to be _pleasant_.

"Tell me, Jim, did you ever think that maybe you should take your _Chief _ _Field_ _Officer_ on a _field_ _mission_ with you?" I ask, aggravation evident in my voice. It takes great effort for me not to scream at him.

"You're angry." Spock observes.

"What was your first clue?" I growl sarcastically.

"The wall told us." Kirk says, a nonchalant tone veiling angry eyes. I wince, preparing to endure a whole lot of ranting and complicated question, but Spock saves me.

"Sir, you must be mistaken." he says, turning to fully face the Captain. "Karai couldn't have possibly made the dent we saw; no human could do that, especially without severe bodily injury, of which Karai has none, and further more-"

"Spock, all the bridge officers saw it." Kirk interjects.

"Captain, I'm telling you, it's impossible-"

"Would you two quit bickering like a married couple?" I snap, instantly defensive of my fellow half-breed. The pair automatically turns their attention to me.

"But it is physically impossible for a human to do such damage without-" Spock start to repeats before I cut him off.

"Key word being _human_." I say coolly, instantly regretting it when I see the look of betrayal flash across Kirk's face.

"But your medical records have you listed as human." Spock states.

"She lied, obviously." Kikr says coldly. "Mind explaining yourself?"

I look to Spock for support, seeing as he's been taking my side (whether on purpose or not) in this argument. I know I'll get no help when I see one eyebrow questioningly cocked.

"Well, Karai?" he demands. This puts me in a vocal lock-down; a reflexive responsive when I feel like I'm being interrogated (a necessity when I was younger, because in the Eugenic Wars, the was always the possibility of being captured and questioned.). I don't say anything, just stare at the both of them, waiting them out. Theres no need, though, because David intervenes almost immediately, lacing his fingers through mine and shifting so that he's standing partially in front of me.

"Cool it, you two." he snaps. "She isn't some stranger we just met or some rookie; you should know by now that if Karai keeps a secret, it's for a good reason."

A pang of guilt shoots through me. Yes, I was protecting them by lying to them, but I was also protecting myself; if I had told them about my past, it probably would've had percussions for me, and some part of me knows that that's one of the reasons I held back.

Part of me also wonders if David jumping to my defensive is purely out of protectiveness, or if he doesn't like the idea of me telling Spock and Jim something I haven't even told him.

"Fine." Jim huffs after a moment of silence. But this discussion isn't over, only postponed, and we all know it.

"Shall we proceed to the prisoner, then?" Spock says.

We all nod, almost in unison. Then Jim turns and leads the way through the doors, Spock trailing close behind. David and I come last, fingers still interlaced.

* * *

As we enter the room, my eyes instantly go to the sole prisoner, occupying the center cell, and I stop dead in my tracks. David takes another step before realizing I've stopped, and turns back to me questioningly.

That, however, I barely notice. My attention belongs to the man standing next to the cell's plexiglass wall.

It's been seven years. Seven years in which not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about him. Seven years with rarely a good night's sleep because he haunted my dreams. Seven years in which his blue eyes have never been far from the forefront of my mind.

And now they stare back at me from inside the cell.

"Khan."

Those blue eyes snap to mine instantly, face reflecting my bewilderment.

"Kae!" he says. His voice is everything I remember, deep and low and full of authority. He steps towards the glass, joy and hope, of all things, lighting in his eyes.

I, however, have just the opposite reaction. I back away, trying to escape the storm of emotions tossing inside me.

"You-you're dead." I stammer. "This is impossible. You died, theres no way… I'm hallucinating. I've finally gone crazy and now I'm hallucinating my dead friends." My eyes sweep the room, fearfully waiting for the others to appear.

Part of me believes, _wants_ to believe, that I've lost my mind. Because the alternative, the alternative is that he was alive this whole time, in Marcus's clutches. The alternative is that I abandoned him, and that thought makes guilt come crashing down in waves, threatening to drown me.

"What are you talking about, Kae?" he asks, confusion dampening his joy, making a pang of sorrow shoot through me. "I'm not dead. I never was. You were the one that died."

Now it's my turn to be confused. Not that I mind; confusion beats pain and guilt any day.

"Khan, I saw your autopsy report!"

"That's ridiculous!" he exclaims, sounding annoyed.

"Khan, I swear on Bal's life, you were dead, I saw the report!"

Arguing with a hallucination on whether or not he's dead. Only with Khan.

"You know this guy, Karai?" Jim aks sharply, looking at me accusingly.

"Who's Bal?" David adds. We ignore them; it's rude, yes, but this Augment business, and no place for humans.

"Kae, you've got it wrong, are you sure it was my report?". Now his voice is patronizing. Anger flares up in me.

"I did not! Marcus gave me the report, it was _your_ picture on the-" I stop dead. Khan and I look at eachother, realization dawning on both of us.

"Marcus." We say simultaneously.

So Khan was alive this whole time. And I abandoned him for that psychopath to do God-knows-what to him.

Words do not describe the pain that rains down on me.

"That bastard is going to pay for this." I'm dimly aware of growling, talking more to myself than anyone.

"Excuse me, are you referring to Admiral Marcus?" Spock asks. I continue to ignore him.

If Khan's alive, then the crew...

"The missiles!" I exclaim, whirling on Jim. I cross the small distance between us in the blink of an eye, making him jump.

"How many missiles did that _snake_ give you?" I demand softly, my face inches from him. Confusion flashes across his face, quickly replaced by anger.

"Get out of my face, woman! I don't know what everyone's problem with those damn missiles is, but-"

His words are cut off with a choking sound as I grab the color of that ugly yellow shirt and jerk his feet off the ground, dangle him in the air.

"I. Said. How. MANY!?"

Never in a thousand years would I have dreamed of doing to my Captain. I respect him to much to ever humiliate him like I am now, not to mention drawing this much attention to myself. Until today, that is.

I'm not thinking clearly, and I know it; my head feels fuzzy, clouded over with emotions, and big red spots keep flashing across my vision.

But I no longer care.

Jim stares at me in pure shock, not answering me. With a frustrated roar, I toss him to the ground and dart out the door and down the corridor.

"Karai!" David shouts, feet pounding the floor as he runs after me. I don't stop, and eventually the sound of his feet slapping the floor fade away as I sprint through the ship.

_They're alive. It wasn't my fault. They're alive. _

This is the single thought that resonates through my mind as I race down towards the hangar. Towards my family.

* * *

**A/N: Once again, sorry this took so long to post. The next chapter will be up soon, and from here on out there should be plenty of action. **


	4. Author's Note

**A/N: First off: I know you're not suppose to use a chapter just for an author's note, so hold your horses and don't report me.**

**Secondly: the author's note. With the holidays and life and everything I don't have alot of free time to work on the story. So, to everyone reading the story, Ima go all Rumplestiltskin and make a deal: if three people PM me about it or ask for it in a review, I swear on Benedict Cumberbatch's life that I will have the next chapter up before 4 on Christmas Day.**

**Otherwise, Ima take a break and there won't be another chapter until... I don't really know when, might be after spring break. No promises.**

**Also, I think by now we all know that the chapter-a-week-motto ship has sailed. And was then violently sunk by Jack Sparrow and Killian Jones. Now its more like a chapter every few months. Might get it down to a chapter a month if more people review. Neh.**

**In the meantime, I don't know how long it's gonna be before I post anything again, so Merry Christmas (and Happy New Year, depending on how long I'm out). **


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